Foreign tourist arrivals in South Korea reached 2.09 million in July, jumping 20.8 percent from a year earlier and surpassing pre-pandemic levels according to tourism data released on Tuesday by the Korea Tourism Organization. The July total represents 144.6 percent of the arrivals recorded in the same month of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted international travel.
July Visitor Numbers by Country
Chinese tourists made up the largest group of travelers last month with approximately 777,000 visitors, according to Korea Tourism Organization figures. Japan followed as the second-largest source market with 330,000 travelers, while Taiwan contributed 261,000 visitors.
Travelers from the United States reached 150,000, and visitors from Hong Kong totaled 76,000. Among these top markets, travel from Taiwan showed substantial growth, surging 129.4 percent compared to July 2019.
Year-to-Date Tourism Performance
From January through July, South Korea received 12.8 million foreign visitors, marking a 21.3 percent increase compared to the same seven-month period last year. China remained the leading source of visitors overall during this timeframe with 3.99 million arrivals.
Japan followed China with 2.28 million visitors for the year-to-date period.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many foreign tourists visited South Korea in July?
Foreign tourist arrivals reached 2.09 million in July, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.
Which country sent the most visitors to South Korea?
China was the largest source of tourists, with about 777,000 visitors in July and 3.99 million arrivals from January through July.
How do current arrival numbers compare to pre-pandemic levels?
The July total represents 144.6 percent of the arrivals recorded in July 2019, exceeding pre-coronavirus pandemic benchmarks.
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